AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey urges Tata to reconsider Jamshedpur FC ISL withdrawal

All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey, speaking to PTI on 2026-08-06, broke his silence almost three to four days after Jamshedpur FC posted its announcement on social media and urged the Tata Group to rethink the club’s decision to withdraw from the Indian Super League. He said the AIFF would be prepared to file an appeal in the interest of players and the sport to see Jamshedpur remain in the top division.

Jamshedpur FC’s social-media statement prompted reactions from supporters and figures across Indian football; Chaubey described his disappointment and framed AIFF’s position as one of engagement rather than confrontation. “AIFF would be happy if Tata remains in football, especially in senior top tier football. If an AIFF request or application can change their mind…the AIFF would like to appeal that for the interest of the players and football, Tata should remain in the senior football league, the AIFF welcomes any suggestion from them and is ready to incorporate those suggestions to ensure the best possible outcome,” he told PTI.

Chaubey said he believed the withdrawal was a boardroom decision and pushed back on suggestions it was driven by the fees associated with the ISL. “It’s all about, I think, some decision in the boardroom. And I’m sure there are reasons, but it cannot be for Rs 1.1 crore participation fee or management fee. It is not that. When the board decided to withdraw the senior team (Jamshedpur FC) from the top-tier league, I am sure they had a reason for taking this harsh decision,” he said via PTI.

The AIFF president also addressed the public reaction to the club’s exit and questioned a purely financial rationale. “They are aware of the football fans’ reaction, but I assume this cannot be only a financial decision because Tata has many enterprises and businesses,” he added.

Drawing on his own history with the Tata Football Academy, Chaubey outlined the company’s long-term involvement in Indian sport and youth development. “Tata will never consider sports merely as a medium for business, revenue generation, profit, or loss. They have done so much for Indian sport. They have invested in archery and several other areas, and in football, I think most of the youth development system has come through the Tata Football Academy,” he said.

Chaubey recounted how the Tata Football Academy survived a period when it was reportedly slated for closure, crediting on-field junior-level success and intervention from Tata’s London office for its continuation. “It was rumoured that TFA would be closed down, the Archery Academy would start, the Engineer Hostel would start, and the Cricket Academy would start. Many rumours were there. But since we won two tournaments in Germany and the Netherlands at the junior level, it became a headline in London. So, officers from the London Tata office came and met us. They gave us incentives, PK Banerjee and Ranjan Choudhury were the coach and technical director. So that’s how the Tata Football Academy continued, which was supposed to be closed down in 1992,” Kalyan Chaubey further revealed.

Reflecting on his personal connection to the academy, Chaubey said he was among a long list of graduates and noted extended service alongside Renedy Singh. “I learned football through Tata Football Academy. Since 1987 till date, nearly 275 or more players have graduated from TFA. I am also one among them and perhaps Renedy Singh and myself served the longest period in the Tata Football Academy,” said Kalyan Chaubey.

Kalyan Chaubey is the president of AIFF. No, Jamshedpur FC will not continue from this coming season onwards.